Running from May 15th through July 7th, 2013, the Canadian Museum of Nature‘s exhibit highlighting winners and runners-up from the 2012 Canadian Geographic Wildlife Photography of the Year contest showcases wondrous works from a wide range of amateur and professional Canadian nature photographers.
Prairie Doggin’ It
Amazing photography by a amateur photographer? It’s more likely than you think! Twelve-year-old Herman Muller of White City, Saskatchewan was visiting the province’s Grasslands National Park when on a hunch, he asked to borrow his mother’s camera. Waited patiently just outside a Black-tailed Prairie Dog’s burrow, Muller snapped the shot of his life when one of the inquisitive rodents poked his head out for a look-see.
Grasslands National Park was designated as The Darkest Dark Sky Preserve in Canada, making it an ideal place to set up a telescope and observe the heavens. The park is also the only place in Canada where the Black-tailed Prairie Dog and the Black-footed Ferret can be viewed in their natural habitat.
A Ribbeting Scene
Man-kay Koon of Vancouver, British Columbia, was visiting the city’s famous Queen Elizabeth Park when the sound of croaking intruded on his enjoyment of the springtime weather. Following the sound towards the eastern edge of the park, Koon came across a small pond occupied by American Bullfrogs. Koon approached quietly, camera in hand, and one particularly large amphibian paused long enough for Koon to capture it… photographically, at least.
American Bullfrogs are the largest frogs in North America. Indiscriminate eaters, these common amphibians will eat just about anything that comes within reach, provided it isn’t larger than their enormous mouths. Bullfrogs can also be found on human menus though this Asian and European delicacy hasn’t quite made the “jump” to North American palates.
Berry Nice!
Jenaya Launstein of Pincher Creek, Alberta won the Junior Photographers category with this spectacular shot of a Bohemian Waxwings enjoying some of the season’s last berries. Aware of the birds’ fondness for the sweet natural treats, 15-year-old Launstein set up her photographic gear in an optimum spot and clicked the shutter at the perfect time. mere moments after, both the birds and the berries were gone.
Bohemian Waxwings are gregarious birds who often travel in flocks. Unlike their cousins the Cedar Waxwing and the Japanese Waxwing, Bohemian Waxwings can be found across the entire northern hemisphere. Why “waxwing”? The term is derived from the birds’ distinctive red wing tips that resembled drops of sealing wax to early observers.
Pond Star
Iain Reid of Vancouver, British Columbia, was camping in Naikoon Provincial Park on Haida Gwaii, BC but cloudy conditions weren’t helping his photographic efforts. Luck was with Reid (along with his camera), however, when a beachfront walk at Yakan Point turned up a brilliant red Blood Star stranded on a bed of deep green eelgrass. “The red star seemed to pop out against the green background,” explains Reid, “So I took a photo of it before the tide covered it up.”
Formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, Haida Gwaii consists of two main islands and approximately 150 smaller islands situated in the Pacific Ocean off the western coast of British Columbia. Visitors to Yakan Point who’d like to retrace Iain Reid’s steps – and hopefully, his luck – should plan to arrive on Graham Island (the northern of Haida Gwaii’s two largest islands) and aim for the west end of Agate Beach.
